Day 4, Maui
We woke up at 4 am Tuesday morning so that we'd have time to make the 2-hour, 37 mile drive up to the 10,000 foot summit of Haleakala, a volcano that is still considered active, although it hasn't erupted in years. Haleakala means, "house of the sun", which is why dozens of tourists make the drive every morning to witness the incredible sunrise. Fortunately, I had done my homework, so we packed our winter coats, hats, and gloves, although we still used our hotel towels for additional warmth. (It was funny to see so many people with different hotel towels as their only warm layers.) Once we arrived, we sat shivering at the summit for about 30-45 minutes-- we would have stayed in our car, but so many people were arriving that we wouldn't get a good view if we didn't stake out our spot early.
A view inside the Haleakala Crater after the sun came up. It looks like the surface of the moon!
After coming back down from the volcano, we ate breakfast at a small cafe in the country (thanks again to Frommer's) next to a surf board manufacturing shop. We decided to attempt at least part of the drive on the road to Hana-- acclaimed for its beauty and narrow, one-lane bridges. We decided to turn back after 12 miles because we were feeling a little carsick and we had limited time before we had to be back to the ship-- but what we did see was beautiful!
Gettin' a little mud on the tires.... Derek off-roaded every chance he got (even if it was just on the shoulder of the road.)
A view from the road to Hana.
We spent the rest of our time on Maui basking on a beach watching surfers and getting in one more snorkel swim!
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